


Beauty and the Beast

by Alittlefandominmylife



Series: OMGCP Fairy Tales [3]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 22:51:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10501095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alittlefandominmylife/pseuds/Alittlefandominmylife
Summary: After his mother is taken captive by a horrible beast, Eric Bittle bravely takes her place. With time, he bakes his way into the affections of the beast and shows that the way to a man's heart is truly through his stomach.





	

A long time ago in a city far, far away lived a young prince. He was tall and handsome, but his heart was not kind and he was spoiled. On a cold winter’s eve there was a knock at the door, and an old woman begged entry into the castle for shelter from the cold. In return, she offered a single rose.

The prince turned up his nose at her, uninterested in her gift. He had a thousand roses outside in the garden already. He didn’t need one more. Once again, the prince urged her to leave him be and made to close the door. But before he could manage to shut her out the old woman who stood before him turned into a beautiful enchantress. The prince begged to be forgiven, knowing that such a visit could not be good news for himself or his castle. He pleaded for another chance, but the enchantress would not listen.

“I came to you friendless and without love, and you must feel this for yourself. Until you can find someone to love you for who you are, you shall not have any friends,” the enchantress said, turning the people throughout the castle were enchanted into objects. The prince watched in horror, but the enchantress wasn’t done yet.

“Until you can look into the hearts of men, you shall look as ugly outside as you are within. When you find someone who can love you like this, then and only then will you look like a prince again,” she said and watched as the Prince turned into a horrible beast. His sobs were turned to howls and the prince could not bear to look at his reflection. When the transformation was complete she vanished, never to be seen or heard from again.

As if to mock his pain, the enchantress left behind the single rose she had offered, but indeed it was enchanted. The petals fell with time and the promise that should the prince not find love by his 21st year, the last petal would fall and he would remain a prince for all eternity.

And so, the kingdom was thrown into darkness and forgotten. The prince fell into despair and lost all hope of being human again, turning whatever goodness was in his heart sour. Many years passed and the castle which once stood beautiful and shining on the hillside grew dark and damp without love.

~

Just like every weekend since they had moved to the countryside, Mrs. Bittle kissed her son and she headed off to market in the neighboring city to sell their beautiful pies, promising as always to bring him back a rose. Eric stayed behind, running the small bakery and the adjoining house, creating artesian breads and trying to get along with the people of the town as best he could. It was difficult to make friends in such a backward village. Not everyone was open to saying hello to a young man who had no pleasure in hunting or war. Surely Eric was strong from hard work carrying large sacks of flour day in and day out but the others in the village teased him and called him ‘Bitty’. Eric decided not to correct them. There were worse things they could call him after all.

And so, as his mother took their small carriage loaded with fine patisserie, Eric felt loneliness creeping in around him. Eric did his best to stay busy and ignore the sadness around him. After all, his mother would be home soon. Or so he thought.

That night there was a terrible storm, and Mrs. Bittle got lost in the forest. When she happened upon the lost castle, she paid no mind to the grimy appearance knowing that inside there must be some place warm.

Mrs. Bittle entered the castle and she looked around but found no one present. Still, she needed shelter from the cold and when she happened upon a room with food laid out she said a soft thank you to whomever might be listening and settled in to eat. Mrs. Bittle spent the evening resting in one of the soft beds, and she wondered how she had never come across a castle as large as this on her trip before. She assumed that she must have gotten very lost indeed and that the castle was very odd, but whoever must live here had been kind enough to offer her hospitality in their own way and she slept well, thankful for their kindness.

In the morning Mrs. Bittle woke early and she left her only remaining pie as a thank you since there seemed to be no one about to offer her thanks to. She climbed back into her carriage and had nearly left when she remembered Eric’s rose. The gardens of the castle were beautiful, and she had never seen any finer flowers. Surely her host would not mind if she took only one.

But was she mistaken!

Suddenly a horrible beast was standing before her and it growled menacingly. “How dare you steal from me! I offer you a place to rest. I give you food from my table! And this is how you repay me?” he shouted, scooping her up and dragging her into the cells in a high tower. “You will stay here and think on your crimes. And you will be as trapped as I am!” he sentenced and stomped out of the room.

Poor Mrs. Bittle was shocked and she cried wishing she had never come here after all. When the beast returned, Mrs. Bittle gathered her courage and made a request.

“I admit what I did was wrong. I should have asked permission before I took your rose. But please! Please allow me to return home so that I may say goodbye to my son,” Mrs. Bittle said, and the beast’s heart was moved. His own mother had shown him kindness, and he could honor such a request.

The beast left and returned again with a ring. “This will lead you to your home. You may stay there one day, but after the day is up, the ring will bring you back to my castle,” he said, handing it to her through the bars. Mrs. Bittle begged for more time, but the beast was gone.

In the morning when she awoke, Mrs. Bittle was let out of her cell and allowed to take her horse and carriage for the right home. It was a long journey and the ring’s magic led her through the forest where she surely would have gotten lost before.

When Mrs. Bittle finally returned home again and she was reunited with her son joyously. When she explained what had happened Eric’s lips drew into a thin line and he spent the rest of the day with her baking their favorite breads and pies. Mrs. Bittle took off the ring to knead the bread, and they decided it would be best if they could avoid seeing it the rest of the day. The ring was placed in a dish on the windowsill and forgotten. If this would be their last day together, Eric wanted it to be the best he could make it.

That night after her favorite dinner, Mrs. Bittle and Eric stayed up as late as they could, talking and trying to make use of the time they had left. When Mrs. Bittle tearily went to bed, Eric watched her go and he sat at the small desk, leaving a note. Eric put the ring on, and as soon as dawn broke he was whisked away to the magical castle, knowing that his mother would not be able to follow.

Eric found himself transported into a cold dungeon and behind bars. He knew he made the right choice because his mother could not have stayed there for long.

Suddenly there was a great stomping of feet and Eric cowered in the cell, pressed against the cold walls. He thought for a moment he might faint, but Eric collected himself and stared back at the beast. “I’m here to take my mother’s place,” he said bravely after a few terrifying seconds.

Whatever the beast had been about to say dissolved and he grunted after whispering with someone Eric couldn’t see. He took the key to the cell and unlocked the door. “Fine. Then you will take her place. But because of your love for your mother I will let you have free reign over the castle.” Terrified though he was, Eric agreed and he followed along when the beast gestured for him to leave the cell.

“You’re free to go anywhere you like, I only ask that you don’t break anything. And you must not go to the west wing.”

“What’s in the west wing?” Eric asked, worried that perhaps there was some even bigger monster there.

“It’s forbidden! It doesn’t matter what’s there!” the beast shouted and Eric cowered back, nodding his understanding.  

The beast led Eric to a large room with a feather bed and enormous windows. There was a closet full of fine clothing, and the beast promised that anything he wanted would be his. The only thing Eric wanted, however, was simply to be back home with his mother.

“You will join me for dinner. That’s not a request!” the beast shouted and Eric was taken aback as the door slammed. He was just as much a prisoner here as he would have been in the tower.

Taking time to adjust to his surroundings Eric realized he wouldn’t be able to get back home. Even if he tried to escape, he didn’t know the way and the ring wouldn’t help him any. Eric threw the ring away into the corner of his new room and he curled up on the bed, wishing he was home. His only hope was to convince the beast to let him go, and that wasn’t promising.

Later that afternoon there was a knock on the door that roused Eric from fitful sleep.

“Who is it?” he called and went to open the door when the person announced himself as Mr. Potts. Eric was quite startled then to see that Mr. Potts was indeed a teapot and not a person!

“It’s been one fucking hell of a day for you. Thought you might want a cup of tea,” he offered and Eric gladly accepted though holding a very bubbly and happy teacup in his hands was a bit odd. After all, the first step to fixing most problems was a warm cup of tea.

Eric spent a great deal of time that afternoon learning that many of the other objects in the castle could also talk. He was kind though a little timid, but he soon learned that the castle was under a spell, and that the beast himself hadn’t always been like this. Eric was skeptical, but by the time Mr. Potts went to make dinner at least he was feeling a little less alone. The wardrobe in the corner of the room tried to help him dress offering beautiful new clothes that Eric could never have dreamed of buying for himself. But Eric declined, not feeling very obligated to dine with the beast. After all, if he had free reign of the castle, surely he had enough autonomy to stay in his room when he wanted.

He delivered his regrets to the beast via Holster the talking clock, and later he heard the beast roar with anger. The beast was soon pounding on his door and Eric resolved not to be intimidated.

“I thought I told you to come to dinner!” the beast shouted and Eric squared his shoulders, not giving in.

“I said I don’t want to.” he replied and he could hear muffled voices outside warning the beast to control his temper and something about affection. At least he had some friends here. The second request the beast made was more gentle, but Eric still would not be persuaded.

“No, thank you!” he insisted.

“You can’t stay in there forever!”

“Oh yes I can!”

“Fine! Then go ahead and STARVE!” the beast roared and Eric could hear him tell the staff, “If he doesn’t eat with me, then he doesn’t eat at all!”

Eric thought that seemed a little dramatic, and particularly unlikely seeing as he knew very well how to feed himself thank-you-very-much! Later that evening Eric made his way down towards the kitchen and he looked around before slipping inside. There he found the most wonderful sight in all the castle.

The kitchen was beautiful with spotless countertops and a pantry full of anything his heart desired. Eric started immediately gathering up flour and butter and a variety of bowls and utensils. Eric set to work peeling and slicing apples and he was chopping rosemary when there was a sudden light in the kitchen. He whirled around and was quite relieved to see Ransom the candlestick.

“Please don’t tell him I’m here,” Eric requested, hoping that Ransom would keep his secret.

“But of course. After all, the master did not mean to lose his temper,” he said, though Eric was clearly skeptical. Within a few moments Eric was surrounded by his new friends and he listened to them tell old stories about amusing things the beast had done over the years as he placed the pastry in the pie dish and added in the filling. If Eric had been smiling by the time the lattice was done, he didn’t let anyone else know.

Eric placed the loaf into the oven, thanking her for promising not to burn the bread and he sat down at the table, cup of tea in hand. “But if he was even a little kind, what happened? Why is he so awful now?” he asked. Ransom and Holster exchanged a look but it was Mr. Potts that answered him.

“The master doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Hmph. Well, I suppose there’s nothing to be done about that. Tell me another story?” he requested and they spent the rest of the evening talking about the beast and Eric told them about the village he lived in and the wonderful pastries he made with his mother. When the bread was finished Eric ate several slices and then he snuck back to bed, not wanting to be caught by the beast.

Their secret baking meetings continued until one day Eric walked into the kitchen and the beast was waiting for him. Eric was a little frightened because the beast looked so very angry, but Eric knew he shouldn’t run away.

“What are you doing here?” the beast asked and Eric bowed his head, assuming he’d soon be back in the tower.

“I’m just… Making bread I’m sorry but I couldn’t stay away. And I was terribly hungry and I was so afraid you’d find out I came and baked at night.”

To Eric’s great surprise, the beast didn’t seem as angry as Eric had expected. “Your mother left pies here before she went home. I suppose baking is in your blood,” the beast said with a small smile.

“Baking is my favorite thing in the world. And you do have such a wonderful kitchen.”

The beast looked around as if seeing the room and its perfect oven and smooth countertops for the first time. “If you like it so much, it’s yours.”

Eric was delighted. He thanked the beast profusely, and to show his gratitude he started on a new pie, chatting away while the beast looked on and realized that perhaps the young man he’d invited into his castle was the one who would break the curse- not some mystical girl who would appear by autumn.

~

One morning bright and early as the sun was just coming over the meadow outside, Eric was up in the kitchens, his apron on and a breakfast quiche in the oven. He was humming softly as he kneaded dough for a nice pumpernickel they could enjoy that afternoon when the beast came downstairs and greeted Eric warmly as they had been known to do lately.

“Good morning to you too!” Eric called out and he paused his kneading to look over at the beast. “You know, I still don’t know your name. Surely I shouldn’t be calling you ‘beast’ in my head when that’s not who you really are.”

The beast was shocked at this, never having expected Eric to care about something like his name.

 Beast comes down to see what smells so good. Eric asks for his name. “Jack. My name is Jack,” he said and his heart melted at Eric’s smile.

“Well good morning, Jack. Breakfast will be ready soon,” he said, but this time it was Eric’s turn to be surprised.

“I found this while we were cleaning your room,” Jack said, holding the magical ring in his paw. “I think you should have it. You’re right. Picking a rose is not a crime worthy of your imprisonment here. You should put it on whenever you wish to go home,” Jack insisted, much to the alarm of Ransom and Holster who knew Jack’s feelings for Bitty and feared he wouldn’t be able to fall in love again before the last rose petal fell.

 “I do miss my mother,” Eric admitted, looking down at the dough on his hands. “I wish I could see her again.”

“You should go. You deserve to be home. And,” Jack hesitated briefly before giving Eric a small smile, “if you wish to return at any time, you may.”

Eric looked over at Jack and he smiled thankfully. He wiped off his hands and took the ring before he hugged Jack tightly as he whispered his goodbye and dashed to his room, bread forgotten on the counter and the quiche still in the oven. Eric collected his things and slid the ring on, and suddenly he was back home.

“Mother! Mother!” Eric called out and he ran into the kitchen where Mrs. Bittle was baking. They were reunited joyfully, and Mrs. Bittle asked how he had ever managed to escape the castle. She had felt horribly guilty that Eric had taken her place, and every time she was coming back from the market she’d tried to find the castle again but it was no use. Without the ring, the castle was impossible to find.

Eric assured her that he could find no fault in her, and they spent the day catching up and swapping stories. The village was much the same with its old prejudices and complaints. But the castle! Eric told his mother about how Jack had let him wander through the castle and the wonderful kitchen there. He told her about the grounds and how Jack let him pluck roses to keep in his room any time he wanted. The story was all so different from what Mrs. Bittle had expected, but they could both agree the best part was Eric’s return home.

Days passed and Eric found himself missing life in the castle. There he had friends in the clock, candlestick, and teapot. He and Jack had become friends too he realized, and there were so many things about the castle that Eric found himself envious of. Not the least of which was the acceptance he’d found in the castle simply for being himself. Eric sat down one evening with his mother and explained that he wished to return to Jack’s castle.

“But he’s a monster!” Mrs. Bittle exclaimed.

“No he isn’t. Not really. He’s kind deep down. He has a good heart,” Eric insisted. “And… I think I love him, Mother,” he admitted and though he could see the confusion in his mother’s eyes, eventually Mrs. Bittle agreed to accompany him to the castle and see for herself. The next morning, Eric and Mrs. Bittle held hands tightly as Eric slipped on the ring, and they were transported to the castle.

Now the castle was bright and the darkness and drear that had surrounded it seemed lifted. When Eric knocked on the door it was opened not by a candlestick or a clock but by a man!

“Eric!” Holster said and rushed forward to shake his hand.

“It’s so good to see you again!” Ransom agreed, and Eric was fascinated by the change. Together they explained to Eric and his mother about the enchantment, and Eric couldn’t help blushing. It was obvious to everyone that Eric’s love had broken the spell, and when Mrs. Bittle realized that Eric’s love must be real, she was happy for him. After all, he could never have found such a love in their small village.

“Eric?” Jack called from the stairs accompanied by Mr. Potts. He hurried forward and took Eric’s hand adoringly. “You came back,” he whispered and Eric nodded through his blushing smile.

“Jack, may I introduce my mother,” Eric said and he was delighted when Jack kissed the back of Mrs. Bittle’s hand and gave her a deep bow.

“Please forgive my behavior on our first meeting. I should never have kept you from your journey,” he insisted and was quickly forgiven since it was obvious his heart had changed.

Ransom and Holster lead Mrs. Bittle on a tour through the castle as Jack and Eric took some time for themselves. It was fairly obvious now that Eric knew about the curse and how to break it that they were in love, and when Jack asked Eric to marry him, he agreed instantly.

They were married some time later, as wedding celebrations do take quite a long time to plan, and they lived together in their shining castle on the hill taking in wayward travelers and ruling a happy kingdom for the rest of their lives.


End file.
